Playing-card



(No Model.) A l Y l W. o. BIRD PLAYING GARD.

Patented J [75.2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM O. BIRD, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,089, vdated July 25, 1893. 'Application tiled February 6, 1893. Serial No. 461,131. (No specimens.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM O. BIRD, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Playing- 1Elards, of which the following,` is a specifica- Ion.

The object of this invention is to provide a pack of playing cards with which a duplicate game may be played, i. c., a game in which a certain number of hands are played, and then these same hands are played again, but by different players than held them before. For instance, in a game of duplicate whist, a certain number of hands may be played, and

then the same cards may be used and the same hands dealt to different players.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l shows a face view of one of the cards. Fig. 2 shows a back View of the same. Fig. 3 shows a face view of the index. Fig. 4 shows a back view of the index. Fig. 5 shows a section of the card. Fig. 5ad shows a section on line 5-5a of Fig. 2, the parts appearing on an enlarged scale. Fig, 5* shows a section on the same line, the indicator being represented as in the act of removal. Fig. 6 shows a perspective view, illustrating the manner of changing the indicators of all the cards simultaneously. Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 show corresponding views to Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5, of a modified form of card. Fig. 10 shows a section on line 10a-40 of Fig. 7, the parts appearing on an enlarged scale and the inscribed card being represented as in the act of removal.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

I have here illustrated the invention as applied to a pack of ordinary playing cards,but it will be evident that it might be applied to many other kinds of card games, such as authors and similar games. Each card is composed of a front a and a back b, suitably held together, and forming between them a pocket c,'for .containing a rotary indicator d, which is preferably fastened on a card d. by an eyelet d2, on which it may be rotated. The front and back of the card preferably have central openings d3 which are occupied by the eyelet so that-the latter will not bulge out the cen- The face of the indicator bears sixteen (16) figures, running consecutively from 1 to 16, said numbers being between the perforations f, so that one only is visible at a time through the opening in the face of the card. The back of the indicator bears sixteen (16) correspondingly-placed figures, running from 1 to 4, but irregularly and in dierent order on every card.

When the game'is started, the indicators of all the cards are adjusted so that the figure 16 shows through the openings in the faces of all the cards. A suitable article, such as a round stick g, is inserted through the registering opeuings or perforations f, and, laying the pack of cards on the table, as illustrated in Fig: 6, said stick is pressed downward, which causes all the indicators to be moved one step. This will bring the figure l at the front openings in all the cards, indicating the first hand played, while on thirteen of the cards the figure 1 will show at the back, on thirteen the figure 2 will show at the back, on thirteen the figure 3 will show at the back, and on thirteen the iigure 4will show. The players will be designated by numbers l, 2, 3 and 4, and the cards will be'dealt, not in rotation, lbut the thirteen cards showing the numberl at the back go to the player No. l, while the thirteen cards showing figure 2 at the back go to player No. 2, the thirteen cards showing the figure 3 at the back go to player No. 3, and the thirteen cards showing the figure 4 at the back go to player No.4. When the hand has been played, the cards are gathered together and-placed on the side, as indicated in Fig. 6, the stick g is inserted as before, and the indicators all moved one step. This brings the number 2 showing through the face of all the cards, indicating the second hand, while the gures on the backs of the cards are changed so that the figure 1 shows 0n an IOO entirely different set of thirteen cards than before, and the same is true with respect to the other figures. The cards are dealt out as before, and it will be seen that the hands will be varied from what they were the first time. This method of adjusting and dealing the cards is continued, and each time each player will receive a diiferent hand. At'ter sixteen hands have been played, the figure 16 will again show through the faces of all the cards, the indicators having completed one rotation.

Now the players change numbers, t'. e., No. 1 y

sixteen hands are dealt by the figures showplayer becomes No. 2, No. 2 becomes No. 3,

No. 3 becomes No. 4, and No. 4 becomes No.

1. The sixteen hands are played again, as before, and it will be seen that the player who was No. 2 will receive the hands held through j the first round by the player who was No. 1, y

the player who was No. 3 will receive the hands held by the player who was No. 2, the player who was No. /lwill receive the hands held by the player who was No. 3, and the player who was No. l will receive the hands held by the player who was No. 4. Thus every player, i

on the second round, will receive the hands which were held by the preceding player on the first round.

The deal and the trump are designated as follows: All the cards having the iigu re 1 showing at the back on the first hand, have a suit designated on the dial or indicator, below the figure l; for instance, a diamond will appear below the figure 1 on each card, thus indicaty ing that player No. 1 deals, and that diamond is the trump. So, on the second hand, the thirteen cards whose indicators show the Iigure 2 on the back, will also show another suit;

for instance, a club appearing below the fig- `v ure 2, thus indicating that player N o. 2 has the deal and that club is the trump. The deal and the trump are indicated for players No. 3 and No. 4 in the same manner. This insures the same trump suits in the second round as were had on the rst round. The indicators maybe removed from the cards and the cards shuffled and the indicators replaced A by chance, so that the hands will not be the same in every game played.

Figs. 7 to 10 showa modified form of card, i in which theinscribed card is removable from between the front and back, and the card is adapted for playing thirty-two hands before repeating. The letters 7L h designate front and back pieces, secured together in suitable manner at the corners, the front' piece being transparent. A plain cardj is interposed between the front and back and fastened to them, and the indicator or dial j is rotatably secured to the said plain card and to the back 7?. by an eyeletjz. The in- 1 scribed card t' is slipped between the front piece 7L and the plain card j', and has an` opening j to receive the eyelet, as has also the transparent front h. The front, back and the plain card j have registering slots 7c, and the indicator has a circular series of perforations m to register with said slots and receive an implement by which to turn it. The indicatorj has two concentric rows ofconsecutive numbers on the front face, running from 1 to 32, and two concentric rows of thirty-two numbers on the rear side, running irregularly from 1 to 4, so that every one of the thirtytwo hands will be different. The front 7l., card j and back h have openings 'n 'n' for the y figures on the indicator to show through, and,

during the first sixteen hands on each round, the cards aredealt by the figures showlng through the upper openings n, while the last ing through the lower openings n. The dial thus completes two rotations before the hands are repeated. In the section View, Fig. 10, the hatching has been omitted for the sake of clearness. With this latter form of card, the inscribed cards may be taken out shuied, and then replaced.

It is evident that the construction of the card,the arrangement of the dial or indicator and the manner of marking the same might be varied in many ways, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not therefore confine myself to what is here shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A pack of playing cards having the usual or any suitable marks upon their faces, each card carrying an indicator whereby the hands dealt out of a pack of such cards are recorded and may be re-dealt from the same pack.

2. A pack of playing cards havin g the usual or any suitable marks upon their faces, each card carrying a movable indicator suitably inscribed and adapted to record hands dealt out of a pack of such cards, substantially as described.

3. A pack of playing cards having the usual or any suitable marks upon their faces, each card carrying a rotary indicator suitably inscribed and adapted to record hands dealt out of a pack of such cards, substantially as described. v

4. Apack of playing cards having the usual or any suitable marks upon their faces. each card carrying a rotary indicator bearing numbers arranged to show at the back of the card, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

5. A pack of playing cards having the usual' or any suitable marks upon their faces, veach card having apocket, and a rotary indicator in said pocket and bearing numbers which are arranged to show through the back of the card, substantially as described. Y

6. A playing card, having a slot, and a rotary indicator with a series of perforations arranged to register with the slot, said indicator being suitably inscribed and adaptd to record hands dealt out of a pack of such cards, substantially as described.

7. A pack of playing cards having the usual or any suitable marks upon their faces, each IOO IIO

card having a pocket, and a rotary indicator two subscribing witnesses,this 1st day of Fe in said pocket and bearing numbers on both mary, A. D. 1893. i v

sides which are arranfred to show throuvh the front and back of th card, substantizlly as WILLIAM 0 BIRD 5 described. Witnesses:

In testimony whereof I have signed my F. PARKER DAVIS,

name to this specification, in the presence of ARTHUR W. CROSSLEY. 

